Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)

(174 views)
by Terry Costales

Of course England has it's fair share of "flying rats". For some reason this one in Hyde Park seemed more like an actual bird to me than just feathered vermin. I'm sure if I was there long enough they would become just as annoying as pigeons are here at home.

Harbor Seal

(174 views)
by Terry Costales

This photo of a Harbor Seal was taken very near the Lucy Evans Interpretive Center at the bird sanctuary. I was very surprised to see it but the ranger verified that they have been known to occasionally appear.

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

(173 views)
by Terry Costales

Yesterday I thought these birds might be Australian Pelicans but with further research I found they are American White Pelicans in non-breeding plumage. I'm glad that's settled.

White Pelicans

(173 views)
by Terry Costales

Taking photos from a boat was a new experience. I was able to get much closer to this flock of Pelicans before they took flight. These appear to be Australian Pelicans because of the pink bills. Or do American White Pelicans have pink bills in the winter? Further research needed.

Zebra (Equus burchelli boehmi)

(173 views)
by Terry Costales

A beautiful Zebra with gorgeous long lashes. I would love to see Zebras in California fields alongside the horses, sheep and cows. We have Ostriches and Llamas, why not Zebras?

Avocet non-breeding plumage

(173 views)
by Terry Costales

This photo was taken late March of this year and many birds were still in just black and white. For courting and breeding the necks and chest acquire a rusty or tan color. They really seem to enjoy their mud-flats.

Great Egret (Ardea Alba)

(173 views)
by Terry Costales

These large egrets are graceful and breathtaking in flight. I watched this bird flying back and forth several times bringing nesting material back to it's mate. There was only one pair that I saw amongst dozens of the smaller Snowy Egrets.

Killdeer eggs

(172 views)
by Terry Costales

This is a photo of three very well camouflaged eggs in a Killdeer "nest." Because Killdeer often lay their eggs on gravel, the parking lot at the sanctuary had become a favorite nesting spot for them. Unfortunately a parking lot is a dangerous place for eggs, which leads to much failure for the Killdeer who lay eggs there.

Great Egret flying

(172 views)
by Terry Costales

To get a shot of a graceful bird flying is always a coup.

Polar Bear (Urus maritimus)

(172 views)
by Terry Costales

What a face. And under all that gorgeous white fur is black skin. All the better to absorb heat and keep the bear warm.

Tortoise

(172 views)
by Terry Costales

These two large tortoises ambled about and were not as sluggish as one might expect. I dont know which species of tortoise this is because I forgot to photograph the sign.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

(172 views)
by Terry Costales

The female Killdeer in this picture is adopting a wounded bird pose and making a distress call. She is trying to lure me away from her nest by convincing me she is easy prey. Luckily for her I only wanted her photo.

Canada Geese in a California Sky

(171 views)
by Terry Costales

When Canada Geese trumpet their arrival while flying directly overhead, no-one could possibly pass up the opportunity to photograph them.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

(171 views)
by Terry Costales

This female Killdeer is standing over eggs in its "nest." Three eggs are actually present but only one is clearly visible. Even the clearly visible one is very well camouflaged. It is reputed their call sounds like "kill deer" and thus the name. I don't hear it myself but maybe that's just me.

Great Egret

(171 views)
by Terry Costales

I think I am addicted to taking shots of flying egrets.

Killdeer in Flight

(171 views)
by Terry Costales

Killdeer are a shy and fast bird. Consequently I rarely get a good shot of one. I was lucky this day to get that elusive shot.

Black-crowned Night Heron

(170 views)
by Terry Costales

The bird on the left is a young adult who won't achieve the look of the mature bird on its right for another year.

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron

(170 views)
by Terry Costales

Taken late March, this bird is probably a year or two old and has the yellow legs you see on both juveniles and non breeding adults. They get their full adult plumage in the third year. If you look at this shot and the thumbnail below it, you can see they are roughly the same size and shape. Nice of them to pose for their comparison shots.

Black-crowned Night Heron (nycticorax nicticorax)

(170 views)
by Terry Costales

At the sanctuary, there is a group of palm trees next to the large pond that provides prime nesting spots. It is fenced off to ensure the breeding birds are not disturbed. In late March, this was one of many night herons nesting amongst the snowy and great egrets. Its usually yellow legs are pink because it's breeding season.

Great Egret

(170 views)
by Terry Costales

I was fascinated to watch this egret hunt . He moved very patiently and slowly, then his head would dart into the shallow water and he would come up with a little fish. It must take a lot of little fish to fill such a large bird.

Great Egret

(170 views)
by Terry Costales

The Great Egret has just caught a small fish.

Male Lion Sleeping

(170 views)
by Terry Costales

Here is a photo of a lion doing what a lion does best.

Great Egret (ardea alba)

(170 views)
by Terry Costales

This shows all the markings you would look for in identifying this bird in the breeding season. The lacy plumes on the back and the green/blue "mask" that extends from the base of the bill to the eye are only present during this time. The Audubon Society came into existence to stop the extermination of great Egrets by plume hunters and has this bird as it's logo. Great Egrets are found world-wide, even in Australia .

Great Egret

(170 views)
by Terry Costales

I got this shot just as the egret was landing. Look closely and you can see the feet haven't quite come to rest on the pipe.

Warthog

(169 views)
by Terry Costales

The profile of a warthog is not handsome. Neither is any other view. They do have their niche in nature, but they just don't look good filling it.